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Wednesday, January 06, 2010

SEA SHEPHERD TERRORISTS ATTACK JAPANESE VESSEL

Five criminals from New Zealand and one Dutchman have been rescued after their attack on a Japanese boat went disastrously wrong.

After throwing chemicals on the Japanese ship, and trying to entangle its rudder with rope, the extremists on the Ady Gil circled around to attack from the front, attempting to ram the Nisshin Maru.[Such tactics are explained in this "helpful" video produced by the anti-whaling side: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_6v5bcVSS4in which it is made clear that the eco-thugs will not hesitate to break international laws and engage in piracy.]

Their attempt failed, and their own boat was severely damaged.
Unfortunately their henchmen pulled them from the waters.

From the BBC:"The crew of the Ady Gil, five from New Zealander and one from the Netherlands, were picked up unharmed by nearby Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker near Commonwealth Bay."The Ady Gil is believed to be sinking and chances of salvage are very grim," the Sea Shepherd statement said.A video apparently shot from on board the Japanese vessel showed the two ships smashing into each other at speed.The Ady Gil was swamped by waves, its nose was torn off and damage could be seen to its side."

The Ady Gil is a high-speed and very maneuverable craft, whereas the Nisshin Maru needs a much larger turning radius and greater breaking distance. From which it is logically obvious not only that the New Zealand thugs (and the Dutchman) deliberately took risks and sought confrontation, but also that it would have been far easier for them to have avoided the collision than for the Japanese to have prevented it.

"Sea Shepherd extremism is becoming more violent... Their actions are nothing but felonious behaviour"
---ICR, Japan

HUNTING THE SNARK

Frankly, I think that whaling in this day and age is misguided, to say the least. It would probably be best if it ceased entirely.

But I take exception to a bunch of know-it-all middle-class white folks imposing their view on the rest of the world through bully-boy tactics, and furthermore doing it in ways which are calculated to insult, demean, and infuriate other cultures.

From Wikipedia:"The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit marine conservation organization based in Friday Harbor, Washington in the United States that utilizes direct action tactics. "

Additionally, employing piracy ("direct action tactics") on the high seas, and knowing themselves immune from prosecution because the Western Nations have a smug sense of cultural superiority, and will make exceptions to international law as they see fit, is the height of arrogance.

If there were any justice in this world, Sea Shepherd vessels would be blown out of the water and whatever drifting survivors surrendered would be strung up after being put on trial.
At the very least, the United States should yank their tax-exempt status. It is untenable that such a bunch of terrorists should be coddled in any way by our government.

Those five New Zealanders and that Dutchman ought to be arrested when they set foot on land again, for piracy and attempted murder.

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88 Comments:

Do you honestly believe that a trimaran could possibly ram an ocean-going ship!!! It seems to me that Japan is slinking back to the old days (1940's) where regard for human life is totally missing. What have you got to say about roaring around in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary doing 'research' with harpoon guns?

i believe you are a little misguided. The Huning of whale in the antarctic by the Japanese is not a cultural reitual. It was only intoduced to the japanese about 70 years ago ... by Americans.

Also calling Conservationist terrorists is again misguided. Anyone trying to save defenceless animals that are nearly extinct cannot be acts of terror.

Have you not thought of the fact that the whalers are hunting in australian waters illegally, using military weapons illegally, refuling in antarctic waters illegally, and having military ships in the antarctic waters illegally. Personally if you ask me who the terrorists are ... they are the ones committing the illegal acts.

It seems to me that Japan is slinking back to the old days (1940's) where regard for human life is totally missing

Feeling rather white superior, eh?

I wonder how the Maori and the Aboriginals feel about that. To say nothing of India, Pakistan, Ceylon, most of Africa, etcetera. Seems to me that there's been more than enough disregard for human life to tar everyone.

Besides, idiots who put themselves in the path of danger should not belly-ache and whine when bad things happen. It's petulant.

If they are in Australian waters, the Australian navy should do something about it, if Australia finds it actionable. A bunch of New-Zealand 'volunteers' have no legal standing - what they did qualifies plain and simple as piracy.

Whether whaling is part of Japanese culture is not an issue, nor do I even consider it such. What I object to is a bunch of Anglos insisting on rubbing their ideas into the face of everybody else, whith their usual reprehensible diplomacy and tactlessness.

If the Japanese presence in Antartic waters is indeed illegal, take them to court. Again, having a bunch of New Zealand urbanapes going out there and pitching a hissy fit with a high-speed superboat is nothing more than an absurd act of international piracy.

Not race. Arrogance. That typical sense of cultural and intellectual superiority which is a characteristic of college-educated middle-class Westerners, especially the English speaking ones.

That ghastly poisonous attitude of knowing it all, and knowing it all better.

Without being able to convince anyone outside their own circle of that. Primarily because they do not know anyone who does not think like them. Secondarily because they refuse to think like anybody else.

My dear Anonymous, you MUST allow some time off from comment moderation - there's more to my life than fighting with people who read my blog.

That being said, hunting of an endangered species almost certainly isn't not necessary.

Neither, for that matter (and not that it has anything to do with this) is clubbing harp seals, climbing Everest, soccer, or rafting down the Amazon.

But piracy is completely illegal. Which is what the Sea Shepherd organization engages in. The posse mentality, which drives them to act as judge and jury entirely on their own authority, is exactly equivalent to a lynch mob, an Al Qaeda cell, or the administration that got us involved in the Iraq war. That they are probably liberal humanists does not justify their taking unilateral action and committing illegal acts.

And by the way, comment moderation has been enabled because some people out there insist on mention names and addresses, or attempt to place adverts for Viagra, Cialis, and similar products here.

The proper comment string for spam is this: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/07/conversational-storm-surge.html[Clickably: storm-surge]

Where you will find all manner of delightful Japanese smutty links. I have reserved that comment string for that purpose only, that subject alone. Viagra and Cialis spam will NOT be allowed there either.

I find it hard to make the comparison from Conservationis to Al Qaeda. Fact of the matter is that whaling is ilegal. They Australian government is doing nothing to stop these ilagal activities due to diplomatic reasons, so who will.

There is two things we as human beings could do.

1. Do absolutley nothing and let the 950 whales get slaughtered every year. and eventually to extinction

2. We could take the path of trying to reason with the japanese government. ( really doesnt work - green peace have been trying that for years and the japanese government really wont bdge on the issue.)

...hard to make the comparison from Conservationis to Al QaedaI can see that. But legally (and morally) they are in this case quite similar.

They Australian government is doing nothing to stop these ilagal activities

Unless it demonstrably happens within their territorial limits, they cannot legally do anything. What they can do is register objections, and make an international issue out of it. Or send it up to the United Nations and various international treaty organizations. Which, by the way, takes it out of their hands once again.

There is two things we as human beings could do.

While listing three things instead of two, you do not mention the obvious one: make it a major political issue in Australia. If there is insufficient pressure on your government regarding this matter, whose fault is that?

Individual actions of the type that the Sea Shepherd people are doing are, legally, piracy. They are non-state actors. They are committing crimnal violence on the open ocean. Legally, Japan would be well within her rights if the Japanese navy sank their boats and took them captive. And at that point, the Australian government could go piss up a rope.

And in any case, it is the international rules that permit Japan to kill hundreds of whales (ostensibly for research, though I suspect that whatever research is done consists of taste testing and discovering new approaches to stew) that are the problem.

If Australia (or New Zealand, or the Netherlands) are party to setting those rules, it is their problem. And their governments should do something. Not six men in a high-speed tub acting on their oh-so-self-righteous own.

Legally and morally the Whalers are exactly the same. They are disregarding the law and last time i check they were the ones in a rather large ship that plowed through a much smaller ans stationary ship in which none of the crew were actually at the wheel of the ship. Then after they tore open the hull they continued to use high pressure hoses on the Crew clinging for their lives on the side of their sinking ship... please dont speak as if the whalers have any moral high ground to stand on. Or legal for that matter.

Antactrica is Within the Australians Territory. And Should be dealt with legally. However this never happens.

The matter of making it a political issue is precisely why the sea shepherd is down there. If incidents such as these didnt happen do you think the issue whaling would ever get to the public?

Individual actions of the type that the whalers are doing are, legally, piracy. They are committing crimnal violence on the open ocean.

Your last paragraph makes little to no sense. Why would the Japanses Navy be legally right to kill people in austalian waters?

From the Guardian:"On one side was the Shonan Maru No 2, a diesel-powered, 490-ton harpoon ship protecting Japan's Antarctic whaling fleet as it maintains a tradition stretching back centuries; on the other, the Ady Gil, a sleek, biodiesel-powered speedboat manned by a crew willing to put themselves in harm's way to end the slaughter."

"The (Japanese) fisheries agency said the collision occurred when the Ady Gil ignored warnings and suddenly slowed down as it crossed in front of the Shonan Maru. "These acts of sabotage that threaten our country's whaling ships and crew were extremely dangerous," it said in a statement."

"Glenn Inwood, the (Japanese) institute's spokesman in New Zealand, said the whalers' footage of the collision disproved the activists' account. "Sea Shepherd claims that the Shonan Maru has rammed the Ady Gil and cut it in half; its claim is just not vindicated by the video," he said."

"Greenpeace, which disapproves of Sea Shepherd's direct tactics, has not sent a vessel to the Southern Ocean for the past two years, while it concentrates on building an anti-whaling movement in Japan."

'Anyway, these were New Zealanders (and one Dutchman). On the open ocean. Even by Australian standards, they would be foreign nationals committing piracy.'

And the Japanese Whalers aren't commiting piracy?

"And in any case, it is the international rules that permit Japan to kill hundreds of whales (ostensibly for research, though I suspect that whatever research is done consists of taste testing and discovering new approaches to stew) that are the problem."

And you see no problem with this? Just calling it reaserch doesnt make it Just. And seriously 950 whales each years for research? what kind of experiments are they doing where one whould suffice?

"If Australia (or New Zealand, or the Netherlands) are party to setting those rules, it is their problem. And their governments should do something. Not six men in a high-speed tub acting on their oh-so-self-righteous own."The governements dont do anything thats why these six people are doing this?

That is incorrect. Legally they are within their rights, and therefore comparing them morally to anything at all is a value judgement.

They are disregarding the law

What law? International law permits what they are doing.

and last time i check they were the ones in a rather large ship that plowed through a much smaller ans stationary ship in which none of the crew were actually at the wheel of the ship.

Which is disputed by the Japanese, not proven by video, and in any case a stupid maneuvre by the crew of that smaller ship - which is far more maneuverable, and far more responsive than the larger ship. In harbour waters, small craft that get 'run over' by far larger ships are in the wrong - check your braking distance and re-research turning radii.

Quote: "Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most twelve nautical miles from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_waters

BUT: "The islands situated between 60°S latitude parallel to the south and the Antarctic Convergence to the north, and their respective 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones fall under the national jurisdiction of the countries that possess them: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (United Kingdom; also an EU Overseas territory), Bouvet Island (Norway), and Heard and McDonald Islands (Australia)."Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System

NOTE: "Commonwealth Bay is an open bay about 48 km (30 mi) wide at the entrance between Point Alden and Cape Gray in Antarctica. It was discovered in 1912 by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson, who established the main base of the expedition at Cape Denison at the head of the bay. Named by AAE after the Commonwealth of Australia. It is listed in both the Guinness Book of World Records and the Eighth Edition National Geographic Atlas as the windiest place on Earth with winds regularly exceeding 150 miles per hour."Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Bay

The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population. For the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude. The treaty, entering into force in 1961 and eventually signed by 47 countries, sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve, establishes freedom of scientific investigation and bans military activity on that continent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System

Japanese whaling is legal according to rules set for whaling by the international community. Not that the Antarctic Treaty "establishes freedom of scientific investigation"

The matter of making it a political issue is precisely why the sea shepherd is down there. If incidents such as these didnt happen do you think the issue whaling would ever get to the public?

The public has been aware of it since long before the Sea Shepherd actions. If the public is apathetic, that is their right. Trying to change the public's mind by violent and criminal acts is a cynical and patronizing approach at best.

Of course, you could commit violent acts in Sydney or Canberra - that might get the publics attention. More likely to in any case, as it is closer to home, and might interfere with their morning commute.

Individual actions of the type that the whalers are doing are, legally, piracy. They are committing crimnal violence on the open ocean.

Again, turning radius and braking distance. Disregard the turning radii and breaking distances of larger vessels at your own peril.

Your last paragraph makes little to no sense. Why would the Japanses Navy be legally right to kill people in austalian waters?

Because they are commiting piracy. The Japanese are legally allowed to be there, legally permitted to engage in the activity that they were in fact engaged upon. Attempts to crash into the Japanes boat, or interfere with its rudder or propellor, were not only dangerous, but also illegal (piracy - again, the siz New Zealanders were not acting with any state authority).

Japanese whalers are not researching anything. Please show me the findings ( that arent completely stupid.) what scientific discoveries have been found in the last say... 20 years that would justify the killings?

"Trying to change the public's mind by violent and criminal acts is a cynical and patronizing approach at best." so by calling this post Sea shepherd "Terrorist" attack Japanese vessel- you arent trying to change the public perception of the sea shepherd activists in a cynic and negavive light are you. oh and failing to call it a military vessel sailing with the japanese whaling fleet- that isnt another way to make the sea shepherd activist appear in a negavite light?

it seems that you are exercising your very argument?

"Again, turning radius and braking distance. Disregard the turning radii and breaking distances of larger vessels at your own peril."

OPEN WATERS//// and they were stationary and not in the cockpit. All the crew were on the exterior of the vessel.Can i mention they shot high pressure hoses at the crew after their ship was obviously sinking.How can you seriously defend them?

Define Piracy. The act of attacking and robbing ships at sea. Now the objectives of the sea shepherd is not to attack the vessel to sink them ( unlike the Japanese vessel) it is to stop them from whaling. It is not to rob them an to steal what they have on board it is to stop whaleing? I dont understand what part of this is actually piracy?

"New Zealanders were not acting with any state authority" correct... but what state authority will stope the whalers from commiting their ileagal acts?

It's a question of law. They can claim whatever they want, the point is that international rules allow them to kill a quota of 100 whales.

... that would justify the killings?Again, legal issue, rather than moral. Legally, they are in the right. And by the standards of their own country, plus the Norwegians, Icelanders, and several native American tribes, they are also morally in the right.Perhaps by Australian standards they aren't - but given Australia's international standing, I would be hesitant to use that as the benchmark. Same goes for New Zealand, and far far more so for Holland (where one of the crew members hails from).

so by calling this post Sea shepherd "Terrorist" attack Japanese vessel- you arent trying to change the public perception of the sea shepherd activists in a cynic and negavive light are you. oh and failing to call it a military vessel sailing with the japanese whaling fleet- that isnt another way to make the sea shepherd activist appear in a negavite light?

What they did can legitimately be called a terrorist attack. They have internationally no legal standing. They attacked. If the public actually reads my blog, they are free to form their own opinions, or remain stubbornly wrong.And having a military vessel accompanying the whaling fleet appears justified under the circumstances. In any case, perhaps you should review international treaties and take the matter up with your government?

OPEN WATERS////

Immaterial. Don't park in front of a moving vehicle. Don't even attempt to block a moving vessel unless you are prepared to be rammed. Again, treaties, piracy, and .... sheer stupidity. Playing chicken is never a good idea.

Can i mention they shot high pressure hoses at the crew after their ship was obviously sinking.How can you seriously defend them?

Bunch of self-important damn spoiled middle-class pretendeurs in an expensive toy, bought for them by a rich meddlesome Californian sugar-daddy. They're lucky they didn't drown. Oh well, perhaps next time.Water cannon are a standard tool for subduing rioters and violent mobs. Overkill in this case, but it kept the thugs from attempting any other acts or trying to board the Japanese vessel.

Define Piracy

An attack at sea by non-state actors. Period. Whatever the motive or objective. Again, do your research.There are several acts which, whatever the motive, are considered universally illegal. Hijacking is one of those - everybody (except Arabs) considers it illegal. Search and seizure by those not empowered to do so is also illegal. Interfering with a vessel, by any other than legitimate authorities, is piracy.

"New Zealanders were not acting with any state authority" correct... but what state authority will stope the whalers

None at present. That still does not justify criminal acts. If the activists wish to take the illegal approach, that is their business, and bully for them. But they are the ones who are legally in the wrong, and given the incredible maneuverability and speed of their vessel, especially when compared to the Japanese boat, they caused their own disaster.

Again, the only legitimate way to combat whaling is to put pressure on your own government and to propagandize for your cause. Criminal acts delegitimize the movement. Bad publicity against whalers is good; publicity due to stupid and criminal conduct, however, is totally counterproductive. Acts of piracy have a resonance among the mercantile marine of most nations that automatically destroys any sympathy for the perpetrator. Those New Zealanders (and that damn Dutchman) are in exactly the same nautical category as the Somalis, and the ship-hijackers in the Straits of Malacca.

How about a few nice riots in front of the Japanese (and Norwegian and Icelandic) embassies and consular offices instead? Destroying plate-glass windows in your own major metropolitan areas is FAR more sincere than a bunch of superior-acting putzes having a hissy fit in frigid water. Far more likely to hit the local news, too.

They can claim whatever they want, the point is that international rules allow them to kill a quota of 100 whales.

CORRECTION: should read 'a quota of 1000 whales.

And note that there are over 750,000 Mink whales worldwide, with eighty percent plus in the Southern Hemisphere. Hardly as endangered as one would think.The Mink whale is the whale hunted by the Japanese "researchers". A cull of less than even half of one percent is not, statistically, significant.

From 1987 to the present, Japan has been sending a fleet consisting of a single factory ship and several catcher/spotting vessels to the Southern Ocean to catch Antarctic Minke Whales under Article VIII of the IWC which allows the culling of whales for scientific research. The first research program, JARPA (Japanese Research Program in the Antarctic), began in 1987-88, when 273 Antarctic Minke were caught. The quota and catch soon increased to 330 and 440. In 2005-06 the second research program, JARPA II, began. In its first two years, in what Japan called its "feasibility study," 850 Antarctic Minke, as well as 10 Fin Whales, were to be taken each season (2005-06 and 2006-07).

"It's a question of law. They can claim whatever they want, the point is that international rules allow them to kill a quota of 100 whales."Id like to think you were not one to follow law blindly and that you do realise that the whalers have found a loop hole in the law. And that Laws have flaws. and in this case there is a giant one.

I will ask you this. Do you think the whalers should continue simply because they can? Or do think they should be stopped because they are killing endagered spieces?

how is what sea shepherd being run over by a bigger ship in anyway a terrorist act? Who attacked who? You seem to be neglecting the fact that the Whalers are attacking defencless animals. Sea Shepherd are simply Defending the whales.

"Bunch of self-important damn spoiled middle-class pretendeurs in an expensive toy, bought for them by a rich meddlesome Californian sugar-daddy. They're lucky they didn't drown. Oh well, perhaps next time.Water cannon are a standard tool for subduing rioters and violent mobs. Overkill in this case, but it kept the thugs from attempting any other acts or trying to board the Japanese vessel."

When your defence is name calling you should really admit its a lost cause. As for water cannons being standard riot procedure - thats great for land, however they are not on land they are in antarctic waters - peoplecan freeze to death in 7 mins. And to be honest it really didnt look like they were going to be climing aboard. They were clinging for their lives. The water cannons were unneeded.

"An attack at sea by non-state actors. Period." (pretty sure you didnt need to write "period" when you actually have one.) Is sitting stationary in open waters illegal? I didnt realise you have to remain in motion at all times ( must make it hard for fishermen. oh well.

ship-hijackers in the Straits of Malacca were hostile. They are nothing like the Sea Shepherd Conservatioist. The ideals of the pirates in the Straits of Malacca was theft and hijacking. The Aim of the Conservationist is to stop the ilegal whaling, to stop whales from being brutally murdered illegally.

Its great how you seem to think that violence is fine on land but at sea its a whole different story??

Antarctic Minke Whales and fin whales are consided to be endanged ( killing them isnt going to make them any less endanged).

Also The IWC are inefficient in acutally creating laws to help consevering whales that need it.

also - love how all you information is quoted from wikipedia. Lovely reasearch skills.

READERS PLEASE NOTE:Comment moderation has been enabled - what that means is that any remarks you choose to make here will not be visible until tomorrow morning, California time.But do not despair!All comments except those that mention certain names and addresses, or advertisements for London escort services, Viagra, Cialis, Penis Pumps, or photos of nude celebrities, will be approved.Zesty Japanese porno-spam, no matter how irrelevant, is always appreciated. The more nipplesomely gibberant the better.

For decades, Mr. Watson and his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have rammed, sabotaged, shot water canons at and thrown stink bombs on whalers and commercial fishing vessels. The Ady Gil, the high-tech speedboat he sought to deploy against Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean this winter, may have been his most expensive loss so far at sea but his has been a career filled with dangerous mishaps and financial losses - both for his crews and for the boats he's targeted.

A spokesman for the Institute of Cetacean Research in Tokyo, Glenn Inwood, contradicted Sea Shepherd’s account of the incident. “The (Ady Gil) skipper put the boat into full sting to try to cut the Shonan Maru off,” he said on ABC Radio. “You can see that the Shonan Maru is moving to the port to try and avoid a collision and there’s no avoiding the collision with the Ady Gil. “It’s a fast boat, she heads off full steam in front of it and miscalculates. So it’s no wonder that it came to the grief that it has.” Asked if the environmental group would press charges against the whalers, Mr Watson said: “There’s no law down here, there’s no way to bring charges against anybody. “Japan does what it wants, where it wants. They’re killing these whales in violation of international law. And if they were to injure or kill any of us, their government will justify and defend their actions.” Mr Watson again called on the Federal Government to send naval ships to stop the whalers exploiting the southern ocean whale sanctuary, which falls in Australia’s Antarctic Territory waters. “Peter Garrett promised before he was elected that he would come down here and stop the illegal Japanese whaling activities - we’re still waiting for him to do so,” Mr Watson said. But the Japanese Fisheries Agency hit back in a statement, accusing the Ady Gil of causing the collision. “These acts of sabotage that threaten our country’s whaling ships and crew were extremely dangerous,” it said. “It is totally unforgivable.” Environment Minister Peter Garrett yesterday said he had no plans to send a vessel to police the situation, instead calling on both parties to exercise restraint.http://www.bloggernews.net/123471

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the clash must not be allowed to escalate. "The New Zealand government is totally opposed to Japanese whaling taking place in the Southern (Pacific) Ocean, but we're also opposed to killing human beings down there as well," Radio New Zealand quoted McCully as saying.

Maritime New Zealand will meet on Thursday to discuss how an investigation into the collision involving a protest boat and a Japanese security ship in Antarctica will proceed.

Japan's government-backed whaling fleet aims to harpoon up to 935 mink whales and 50 fin whales, classed as endangered, in the Southern Ocean this season, claiming it is for research purposes.

As others have noted you can see the boat accelerate TOWARDS the whaler.

Look closely at the video. The Japanese vessel was well clear until about 17 seconds in, when the ecoterrorists fired up their engines and drove in front of the vessel. The wake of the Japanese vessel (39-43s) shows a significant alteration to port to avoid the ecoterrorists, which﻿ they negated by driving in front of the other boat at the last second.

Then at 0:15 the Ady Gil (smaller boat) guns it's throttle and puts itself farther in front of the bow of the whaliers ship. There "might" have been a scrape if the﻿ Ady Gil didn't punch the throttle. By lurching forward the Ady Gil INSURED they were hit.

Ady Gil (formerly Earthrace) hit by Japanese Whalers Wed, 6 Jan 2010A space age 78 foot trimaran, the round the world speed powerboat record holder Earthrace, latterly a New Zealand protest ship is said to have been severely damaged by a Japanese vessel as clashes over Japan's whaling activities in Antarctic waters continue to escalate. The Sea Sherperd anti-whaling group's boat, Ady Gil, formerly known as Earthrace, has been almost three metres cut from its carbon fibre bow by a Japanese security vessel Shonan Maru near Commonwealth Bay earlier today, Wednesday and the New Zealand-registered vessel is in danger of sinking. Sea Shepherd leader Paul Watson had said the vessel was rammed, but that the six-member crew including skipper Pete Bethune had been rescued and were uninjured. According to eyewitness Captain Chuck Swift on the third anti-whaling vessel the Bob Barker, the attack happened while the vessels were dead in the water. The Shonan Maru No. 2 suddenly started up and deliberately rammed the Ady Gil ripping eight feet completely off of the bow of the vessel. According to Captain Swift, the vessel does not look like it will be saved. 'The Japanese whalers have now escalated this conflict very violently,' said Captain Paul Watson. 'If they think that our remaining two ships will retreat from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in the face of their extremism, they will be mistaken. We now have a real whale war on our hands now and we have no intention of retreating.' Captain Paul Watson onboard the Steve Irwin is racing towards the area at 16 knots but still remains some five hundred miles to the north. The Bob Barker has temporarily stopped the pursuit of the Nisshin Maru to rescue the crew of the Ady Gil. It is alleged that the Japanese ships initially refused to acknowledge the May Day distress of the Ady Gil, but ultimately did acknowledge the call. Despite acknowledging the call, they did not offer to assist the Ady Gil or the Bob Barker in any way. Swift summed up. 'There is a big gaping hole, so it can't go anywhere or it would fill up with water,' he said. The Ady Gil is believed to be sinking and chances of salvage are very grim. The incident took place at 64 Degrees and 03 Minutes South and 143 Degrees and 09 Minutes East Earlier on Wednesday, representative for the whalers, the Cetacean Institute, accused the Ady Gil crew of carrying out a two-hour attack on the fleet. It says the powerboat repeatedly came within collision distance directly in front of the Nisshin Maru and tried to use a rope to entangle the Japanese vessel's rudder and propeller. Meanwhile, the Australian government says it is waiting for urgent legal advice before it responds to reports that Japanese whalers have chartered Australian planes to monitor anti-whaling activists.

Id like to think you were not one to follow law blindly and that you do realise that the whalers have found a loop hole in the law. And that Laws have flaws. and in this case there is a giant one.

Tough. The answer is not to break the law, but to change it. And by the way, when I break or circumvent the law, I do not whine or bellyache if bad things happen. Grow up.

I will ask you this. Do you think the whalers should continue simply because they can? Or do think they should be stopped because they are killing endagered spieces?

At present that is both their right and their choice to make. Yes, they should be stopped - but not by unilateral illegal actions by a bunch of fanatics convinced of their own righteousness and virtue. Act within the law, organize, and engage in politics.

Who attacked who? You seem to be neglecting the fact that the Whalers are attacking defencless animals. Sea Shepherd are simply Defending the whales.

The smaller and more maneuverable vessel and its crew committed the aggression. And by the way, cows, rats, and bunnywabbits are also "defenseless" animals - the first is very good to eat (as is the last mentioned too), the latter two are pests (albeit cute as the dickens). Anyone who interferes with my right to eat beef will run into trouble, and if the animal rights folks interfere with pest eradication efforts, they should be arrested and fined.

Good heavens man, I was not utilizing disparagement as a defense, I was expressing my utter dislike of a bunch of self-important damn spoiled middle-class putzes! Truly, I despise know-it-all self-righteous people, especially if they come from a comfortable semi-educated middle-class background and consider themselves chosen to a task.

ship-hijackers in the Straits of Malacca were hostile. They are nothing like the Sea Shepherd Conservatioist. The ideals of the pirates in the Straits of Malacca was theft and hijacking. The Aim of the Conservationist is to stop the ilegal whaling, to stop whales from being brutally murdered illegally.

Attacking another vessel at sea is by definition both a hostile act and an act of piracy. Their self-righteousness and their self-assumed sacred motive is immaterial. A hostile act, whatever the motive, remains a hostile act. Suicide bombers have the very best of sanctified motives, and murderers usually also have a jolly good reason which in their minds excuses what they do.The whaling is not illegal, it is in fact completely legal (not, of course, that that makes it right - which is what seems to confuse the issue for you). So the whales are being killed legally. If you wish to carp about how they are killed, that is a different matter.

Its great how you seem to think that violence is fine on land but at sea its a whole different story??

The operating concept is 'please piss in your own backyard', coupled with a revulsion toward people who commit violent self-righteous acts while wishfully thinking themselves above the law. Please riot in Sydney and Melbourne. And if you get arrested there for destructive acts or mayhem, for crap's sake don't bitch and moan about it.

Antarctic Minke Whales and fin whales are consided to be endanged ( killing them isnt going to make them any less endanged).

I will concede this point (including especially the point within parentheses).

also - love how all you information is quoted from wikipedia. Lovely reasearch skills.

Wikipedia is a convenient and, on the whole, remarkably reliable source. It is easily accessed, and frequently has links that point to the sources. As well as copious annotation. It is quick, but it is not dirty. Feel free to post links to alternative sources of data.However, if you insist, I will refer to them as 'MINK' whales, if you consider the correction to 'minke' on the basis of a Wikipedia reference objectionable. Whether they are 'minke' OR 'mink' is not important to me. Likewise, any of that Wikipedia stuff about rorqual, baleen, a clade, and so forth. Perhaps they are nautical-muskrats, longtoothed, a septwithin a biological clan, or whatever. Wikipedia could be very wrong about that, or you might wish to disagree with the nomenclature.

"The number of Indian students wanting to study in Australia has slumped by almost 50%, according to figures from the Australian government.

The decline follows a year when attacks on Indian students in Melbourne and Sydney made headlines in India. "

From the ver-friendly BBC:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8444870.stm

"The drop-off in applicants follows a spate of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne and Sydney in the first half of last year, and a rash of unfavourable headlines about the unscrupulous practices of some colleges and migration agents.

The government figures are from last July to October - and it is feared that the recent murder of Nitin Garg will raise even more concerns about student safety, and lead many more to look at universities and colleges in other countries.

Certainly, that is the view of an education agent in India, who has said this most lucrative of markets was "absolutely doomed." "

Oh dear me, Kishan, I sure hope not. Although if they were, and that was their primary perverted predeliction, it would still be infinetely better than the Germans, who like ten-year old Thai girls, or the French, who are notorious for spreading syphilis wheresoever they go, or the Scandinavians, who have the most disgusting porn industry in the world (excepting Russian Cossak-slut videos, of course), or the New-Zealanders, who bugger sheep, or in fact many other nationalities whose presence on the planet is a plague.

Engaging in kangaroo-chutiya is probably fairly harmless in the grand scheme of things. Though undoubtedly very bad karma.I doubt that massive quantities of Foster's Lager make it any better for the poor kangaroo.

"Tough. The answer is not to break the law, but to change it.And by the way, when I break or circumvent the law, I do not whine or bellyache if bad things happen. Grow up."

So you just sit back and take it if something you know is wrong? wow... what an apathetic stance you have. maybe you should move to australia and fall in love with the government there.

"Anyone who interferes with my right to eat beef will run into trouble, and if the animal rights folks interfere with pest eradication efforts, they should be arrested and fined."

Whales are not pests nor should they be consumed. Due to high amounts of murcury within the whale meat.

"At present that is both their right and their choice to make. Yes, they should be stopped - but not by unilateral illegal actions by a bunch of fanatics convinced of their own righteousness and virtue. Act within the law, organize, and engage in politics."

There are no enforcment body that will actually enforce the law. The reason they are down there is because no one else will enforce the internation law against whaling.

"Good heavens man, I was not utilizing disparagement as a defense, I was expressing my utter dislike of a bunch of self-important damn spoiled middle-class putzes!Truly, I despise know-it-all self-righteous people, especially if they come from a comfortable semi-educated middle-class background and consider themselves chosen to a task."

Yet you consider yourself right in this matter? wouldnt that make you self righteous? Good lord do you dispise yourself??

"Attacking another vessel at sea is by definition both a hostile act and an act of piracy."

Piracy is an act of piracy.It would considered be an act of piracy if their intentions were to kill people or to steal goods. In Africa elephant poachers are shot on site. Sea Shepherd activist are merely throwing stink bombs aboard and yes tangling ropes on their propeller. but it is not to take the ship over, not to kill the people on board (which the whalers seem to think killing activists is ok) and definately not to Steal goods. Its really not piracy.

'please piss in your own backyard'

I bleieve the saying is "Dont piss in your own backyard" and im not sure if you are using it correctly.

So you just sit back and take it if something you know is wrong? wow... what an apathetic stance you have. maybe you should move to australia and fall in love with the government there.

Reading is an art which you have not fully mastered. Did you note my mention of "when I break or circumvent the law"?And regarding apathy, it is clear that you have not read any of the other posts on this blog. Perhaps you should.Moving to Australia is entirely out of the question. Nor anything I would ever consider.

Whales are not pests nor should they be consumed.

No argument either way on whether or not they should be eaten. I consider turkeys both a pest and inedible, but if my fellow Americans insist on eating the damn things, who am I to complain?

There are no enforcment body that will actually enforce the law. The reason they are down there is because no one else will enforce the internation law against whaling.

A lynch mob, in other words. And the international "laws" regarding whaling specifically allow Japan to conduct the hunts. So this is, in any case, of scant relevance.

Yet you consider yourself right in this matter? wouldnt that make you self righteous? Good lord do you dispise yourself??

Did I already mention that reading is an art that you have not yet fully mastered? ;-D

It would considered be an act of piracy if their intentions were to kill people or to steal goods.

Please use the legal definition, not the moral or puritanical one.

In Africa elephant poachers are shot on site.

More often than not, not. Quite a number of the African bureaucrats profit from the ivory trade. It is probably because the Africans do not tolerate firstworlders going down there and throwing tantrums that so few Western activists show their faces there, or do bugger all on site to prevent elephant slaughter. But perhaps they should - at least in those African countries the slaughter of elephants IS illegal (and therefore legally actionable). So protesting it, on site, would be quite proper. Not wise, but quite proper.

Please also note that international law is not like the laws in a particular country. International law is only valid within the jurisdiction of parties who have agreed to that law, and ONLY by means of those parties agreeing to that law and enforcing it.Japan is operating within the law. Again, do NOT confuse law with rightness - it is legal/lawful to make a stew out of bunnywabbits or Bambi, but several people would argue that it is by no means right.

I bleieve the saying is "Dont piss in your own backyard" and im not sure if you are using it correctly.

In admonishment it is used as I have used it. But it there are several alternate variations.

wow, not one of the points i have made have even been addresses. Is it you were not able to?

"Reading is an art which you have not fully mastered. Did you note my mention of "when I break or circumvent the law"?"Ok. what happens if you were to contact your local government constantly. and yet nothing was done? what would you do intervene?

"And regarding apathy, it is clear that you have not read any of the other posts on this blog. Perhaps you should.:Wow. you blog? i would like to personnally congratualte you on such a fine blog. it must take hours and hours to type up those posts. So apart from blogging what else do you do for you comunity?As far as reading the rest of your blog im not sure i have the time or tollerance to read such onesided arguments to quite complex issues. I especially have little time for people who believe whaling is a right?

"Moving to Australia is entirely out of the question. Nor anything I would ever consider." yes litterally i meant move to australia. (that was sarcasm)

"No argument either way on whether or not they should be eaten. I consider turkeys both a pest and inedible, but if my fellow Americans insist on eating the damn things, who am I to complain?"Who are you to complain? can i refer to my coment towards your apathetic nature? And also who are you to complain about Sea Shepherd and their methods. How does is this issue anymore relevant to you than the Turkeys?

Piracy is a war-like act committed by private parties (not affiliated with any government) that engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea.

Right.... No Robbery and as for Criminal Violence would relate to harm to human beings. Throwing stink bombs is hardly Criminal Violence... i wonder how many people are in prison right at this moment due to the throwing of stink bombs?

please piss in your own backyard... so wrong... so wrong.

"More often than not, not. Quite a number of the African bureaucrats profit from the ivory trade. It is probably because the Africans do not tolerate firstworlders going down there and throwing tantrums that so few Western activists show their faces there, or do bugger all on site to prevent elephant slaughter. But perhaps they should - at least in those African countries the slaughter of elephants IS illegal (and therefore legally actionable). So protesting it, on site, would be quite proper. Not wise, but quite proper."

What are you talking about? There are plenty of activist champaining about the Ivory trade. And further to that Whaling IS Illegal... No reaserch ever conducted requires a cull of 1000 whales a year. Because you are such a good researcher i would love to see some important break thoughs in the world of whale harvesting. What science has come from it?

wow, not one of the points i have made have even been addresses. Every single one of them has been addressed - multiple times. Reading is an art which you have, evidently, not fully mastered.

Wow. you blog? i would like to personnally congratualte you on such a fine blog. it must take hours and hours to type up those posts. So apart from blogging what else do you do for you comunity?It is clear that you have not read any of the other posts on this blog. Or actually even understand what a blog is.

I especially have little time for people who believe whaling is a right? Why is this phrased as a question?Aside from which, international agreements give the Japanese that legal right.

yes litterally i meant move to australia. (that was sarcasm)My answer was meant bluntly. Which may have escaped you entirely.

Who are you to complain? can i refer to my coment towards your apathetic nature? You can, but it is quite ridiculous to do so. Surely you are not suggesting that I commit violent acts to prevent them from eating turkeys? Seriously, I should organize protests and pressure on the elected officials? Are you off your nut?

And also who are you to complain about Sea Shepherd and their methods. How does is this issue anymore relevant to you than the Turkeys? A) My blog, wherefore I can wax wroth about anything I want to, and B) piracy by a bunch of people who have decided to take the law into their own hands is, validly, everybody's business - as you yourself made clear when you wrote "if incidents such as these didn't happen do you think the issue whaling would ever get to the public?"I am part of the public. Do you believe that individuals have the right to lynch someone? Do you believe that individuals may decide to wreak vengeance? If your car is in my driveway, should I torch the damn thing and push the burning wreckage into the street?

Piracy is a war-like act committed by private parties (not affiliated with any government) that engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea.

Sea Shepherd is not affiliated with any government, they themselves describe what they do as war, and in fact acts of sabotage and vandalism are violent and criminal acts. And prosecutable as such.

Right.... No Robbery and as for Criminal Violence would relate to harm to human beings. Throwing stink bombs is hardly Criminal Violence... i wonder how many people are in prison right at this moment due to the throwing of stink bombs?

Try throwing a stink bomb at any protest here in San Francisco, and the police will, with every legal right to do so, forcibly arrest you and charge you with assault. They may club you fiercely while doing so, if you resist in any way. As has indeed happened.

please piss in your own backyard... so wrong... so wrong.

Why? Do you, for instance, consider it right to piss in your neighbor's backyard? If, for example, foreigners were to come to the US to protest something, would it not be right for the Immigration and Naturalization Service to arrest them and throw them into a holding tank before kicking them out of the country?

What are you talking about? There are plenty of activist champaining about the Ivory trade.

Not particularly effectively, albeit with more greater effect than two decades ago. The point is that they do so through legal means, and public pressure - not by standing between poachers and the elephants (some did - they're dead; quod erat demonstrandum).

And further to that Whaling IS Illegal...

No, the Japanese are legally allowed a quota, ergo Japanese Whaling (up to their quota limit) is completely legal (and one more time: that it is legal does not mean that it is right - please understand that there is a difference). That legality (what you called a legal loophole) is what you should engage your politicians and the 'public' into changing.

No reaserch ever conducted requires a cull of 1000 whales a year.

Did I ever say it did? In fact, if you read through the previous comments, you will note that I expressed myself quite cynically about the alleged research.

Because you are such a good researcher i would love to see some important break thoughs in the world of whale harvesting. What science has come from it?

Did I ever mention that reading is an art which you may not have fully mastered? Really, I should have. Please forgive the oversight.

please piss in your own backyard... so wrong... so wrong.Why? Do you, for instance, consider it right to piss in your neighbor's backyard? If, for example, foreigners were to come to the US to protest something, would it not be right for the Immigration and Naturalization Service to arrest them and throw them into a holding tank before kicking them out of the country?

And further to that, why would any US politician feel inclined to listen to a bunch of foreign acitivists if they came over here to protest? Not only are they NOT validly entitled to any political action here (not being citizens or even residents), but also they would be considered a nuisance, being nothing more than meddlesome foreigners.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why the Europeans keep tolerating the anarchists who travel from capitol to capitol to riot outside international conferences. Riot tourism serves no useful purpose.

"Every single one of them has been addressed - multiple times. Reading is an art which you have, evidently, not fully mastered."

Reading is an art? really so i guess your read quite well? correct? Do you consider yourself the picasso of the reading world?

\

From what i gather from your other posts is that you copy and paste from conservative news posts and make a comment. What a contribution to your community. What else do you do for your community?By the way.. love the pink... really nice.

"You can, but it is quite ridiculous to do so. Surely you are not suggesting that I commit violent acts to prevent them from eating turkeys? Seriously, I should organize protests and pressure on the elected officials? Are you off your nut?"

What you fail to recognise is the fundamental differences between a farmed animal being killed for consumption and a native, endanged animal being brutally killed for consumption illagally. Last time i checked Turkys arent endagered nor are they native.

You your self admitted that they consume the whale meat.. does that not make it instantly not for research and therefore make it Illegal?

"B) piracy by a bunch of people who have decided to take the law into their own hands"Funny i thought you liked defined terms.

"Do you believe that individuals have the right to lynch someone? Do you believe that individuals may decide to wreak vengeance? If your car is in my driveway, should I torch the damn thing and push the burning wreckage into the street?"

Last time i checked it was the Sea Shepherd boat that was ruined. Not the Whalers.

You are acting as if the Sea Shepherd crew has just decided one day yeah that sounds like a great idea.. and that they are acting on an impulse. Sea Shepherd have tried several times to diplomatically stop the whalers. unfortunatley it falls on deaf ears. And with no government parties prepared to do anything they are forced to go down to intervene. Their work is not in any way in vengence its in defence.

"Do you believe that individuals have the right to lynch someone? Do you believe that individuals may decide to wreak vengeance? If your car is in my driveway, should I torch the damn thing and push the burning wreckage into the street?"

So wait... whats your point? how does that realet to what we are talking about?

i still would like to know about the points you have avioded...

- Because you are such a good researcher i would love to see some important break thoughs in the world of whale harvesting. What science has come from it?

- Throwing stink bombs is hardly Criminal Violence... i wonder how many people are in prison right at this moment due to the throwing of stink bombs?

-So apart from blogging what else do you do for you comunity?

- what happens if you were to contact your local government constantly. and yet nothing was done? what would you do intervene?

Yes they Do describe what they do as war but they could also be described as soldiers or portectors.

"Try throwing a stink bomb at any protest here in San Francisco, and the police will, with every legal right to do so, forcibly arrest you and charge you with assault. They may club you fiercely while doing so, if you resist in any way. As has indeed happened."Try Killing an absurd amount of native and endagered spieces see if get arrested?

"Not particularly effectively, albeit with more greater effect than two decades ago. The point is that they do so through legal means, and public pressure - not by standing between poachers and the elephants (some did - they're dead; quod erat demonstrandum)."

Great but i believe you missed my point. My point was that people who illegally kill elephants get killed themselves for doing so but people who illegally kill whales get a few stink bombs thrown at them. In my oppinion whalers are getting it easy.

"Did I ever say it did? In fact, if you read through the previous comments, you will note that I expressed myself quite cynically about the alleged research."

So you realise there is no reasearch. Should you not then be admitting that what they do is illegal? and therfore what the sea shepherd is doing is just?

"And further to that, why would any US politician feel inclined to listen to a bunch of foreign acitivists if they came over here to protest? Not only are they NOT validly entitled to any political action here (not being citizens or even residents), but also they would be considered a nuisance, being nothing more than meddlesome foreigners."

Are you saying that politicians must ignore international pleas?and only listen to the inbred and patriotic points of view of their own people? And that they shouldnt have an open mind to international matters/?

"For the life of me, I cannot understand why the Europeans keep tolerating the anarchists who travel from capitol to capitol to riot outside international conferences. Riot tourism serves no useful purpose."

Reading is an art? really so i guess your read quite well? correct? Do you consider yourself the picasso of the reading world? Compared to you I very well may be. You show nearly zero evidence of reading well, or being able to digest what you read.

From what i gather from your other posts is that you copy and paste from conservative news posts and make a comment. What a contribution to your community. What else do you do for your community?Which merely shows that you have not read many of the posts, and that, for some absurd reason, you believe that blogging has to be a contribution to a community. Where on earth did you get that idea? And "conservative"? Do you really consider De Telegraaf conservative? How about Chinese poetry from the T'ang dynasty? Admittedly, T'ang dynasty poetry could scarcely be considered modern or au courant, but conservative?[The Chinese poetry can be seen here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/11/shi-chinese-verse-with-lines-of-five-or.html Or just click on this LINK.]

By the way.. love the pink... really nice.Thank you. It was haphazardly chosen as background colour when I first started blogging in 2005. Has proven gentle on the eyes.

What you fail to recognise is the fundamental differences between a farmed animal being killed for consumption and a native, endanged animal being brutally killed for consumption illagally. Dude, you're the one who suggested that my not doing anything about the turkeys was apathy.

Last time i checked Turkys arent endagered nor are they native.Check again. Turkeys are native to the Americas. Which, in mittn drinnen, is where I am.

You your self admitted that they consume the whale meat.. does that not make it instantly not for research and therefore make it Illegal?No, it means that what they ultimately do with it is not according to the agreement. Their taking it is still legal. Are there legal grounds for taking them to court in Australia? IF so, do so.

"B) piracy by a bunch of people who have decided to take the law into their own hands"Funny i thought you liked defined terms. I cannot make head or tails out of your response.

Last time i checked it was the Sea Shepherd boat that was ruined. Not the Whalers. The Sea Shepherd sought out the whalers and attempted both sabotage and destructive criminal acts. Additionally, the Sea Shepherd boat is (was) more maneuverable, and deliberately engaged the Japanese ship. Which establishes pretty well that they were the aggressors, with culpable intent. Borne out by their own prior statements, by the way.

You are acting as if the Sea Shepherd crew has just decided one day yeah that sounds like a great idea.. and that they are acting on an impulse. Sea Shepherd have tried several times to diplomatically stop the whalers. unfortunatley it falls on deaf ears. And with no government parties prepared to do anything they are forced to go down to intervene. Their work is not in any way in vengence its in defence. Forced to go down to intervene? Ridiculous! They were not forced, they chose to go down there. And if you lot cannot get the attention of your politicians, you aren't very effective. Or possibly out of touch with the rest of the Australian population.

"Do you believe that individuals have the right to lynch someone? Do you believe that individuals may decide to wreak vengeance? If your car is in my driveway, should I torch the damn thing and push the burning wreckage into the street?"So wait... whats your point? how does that realet to what we are talking about?It relates specifically to the decision by private individuals who are neither tasked nor empowered in any legal way to on their own commit certain acts.

i still would like to know about the points you have avioded...

- Because you are such a good researcher i would love to see some important break thoughs in the world of whale harvesting. What science has come from it?

Obviously you did not understand what this meant: "Did I ever say it did? In fact, if you read through the previous comments, you will note that I expressed myself quite cynically about the alleged research." Please reread that sentence till comprehension dawns.

- Throwing stink bombs is hardly Criminal Violence... i wonder how many people are in prison right at this moment due to the throwing of stink bombs?Actually, throwing stink bombs IS considered criminal violence. It has happened at demonstrations here in the city, and people have been thrown in the clink precisely with that charge. Usually they are released on bail, and subsequently fined. Which means that there are at any given time comparatively few people actually doing time for stink-bombing, if any. I likewise wonder how many people are currently in prison for that.

-So apart from blogging what else do you do for you comunity?Again, you have this odd idea that blogging is community service. Either that, or the impression that only by boasting about whatever I do that could be defined as service to the community I will be entitled to blog. How very strange.

- what happens if you were to contact your local government constantly. and yet nothing was done? what would you do intervene? Organize better, work to get more people involved, and make my case more clearly. Of course, you are probably writing from Australia, where politicians are far less responsive to the electorate, and where evidently the vast majority of the population is apathetic, and conceivable sympathetic to the Japanese - judging from the fact that your actions do not seem very effective in getting your government to do anything about the situation.Have you considered changing your society? Yes, I know it's a slow process (lord knows, our little group of activists have had a tough time doing so), but it is not impossible. And it is "doing something for your community".

Try Killing an absurd amount of native and endagered spieces see if get arrested?

They are legally allowed to kill a quota. And evidently the international community, which made this agreement regarding whaling, does not consider the number of whales killed to be absurd.

Great but i believe you missed my point. My point was that people who illegally kill elephants get killed themselves for doing so but people who illegally kill whales get a few stink bombs thrown at them. In my oppinion whalers are getting it easy.

My point was that there is a difference between breaking the law, and acting according to the law. The Japanese are by international agreement allowed to kill a quota. What they are doing is therefore quite legal.

Should you not then be admitting that what they do is illegal? and therfore what the sea shepherd is doing is just?

Killing up to the quota is not illegal. It is up to the international community to prove that there is absolutely no research AND to set standards for that research. What the Sea Shepherd is doing, irrespective of motive, must be considered piracy.

Again, I do not consider culinary pursuits a valid research motive. But unless the international community and the Japanese come to a new agreement that is more in tune with conservationist efforts, what the Japanese are doing is quite legal.Good luck convincing the Japanese, the Icelanders, and the Norwegians to change. It seems to be quite the uphill battle.

Are you saying that politicians must ignore international pleas?and only listen to the inbred and patriotic points of view of their own people? And that they shouldnt have an open mind to international matters/?

Outside of diplomatic officials and heads of state, yes. The attention of elected officals who ARE NOT heads of state should be strictly the concerns of theelectorate that put them in office. Protests against any nations' policies, in so far as they have any impact on the rest of the world, should under no circumstances be directed at LOCAL politicians, police, or citizens. Feel free to riot outside the embassies and consular offices of whatever nation you despise in your own country. Or trash your own downtown areas. Heck, go ahead and destroy some plate-glass in downtown Sydney or Canberra. Anything that will get either your politicians, or diplomats of whatever nation you are upset about, to sit up and pay attention.

"For the life of me, I cannot understand why the Europeans keep tolerating the anarchists who travel from capitol to capitol to riot outside international conferences. Riot tourism serves no useful purpose."who are the anarchists? What are you talking about??

It was a merely an example for rhetorical purpose. I was referring to the traveling bunch of rioters and incendiarists who regularly fight with cops and trash commercial districts whenever a bunch of politicians or delegates from various countries attend important international conferences. Usually they come nowhere near the conference, but cause millions of dollars worth of damage, thoroughly inconveniencing thousand of merchants, workers, and regular citizens by their behaviour and the destruction they leave behind.

"Check again. Turkeys are native to the Americas. " Great! are they endangered?

"Dude, you're the one who suggested that my not doing anything about the turkeys was apathy."And there are many reasons not to care for Turkeys namely they are farmed and there is little chance they will be endangered. But my point was they are endangered and being slaughtered - making them alot more cause for concern.

"No, it means that what they ultimately do with it is not according to the agreement. Their taking it is still legal. Are there legal grounds for taking them to court in Australia? IF so, do so." Australian governement wont do so.

"I cannot make head or tails out of your response." You asked before for legally defined terms and "B) piracy by a bunch of people who have decided to take the law into their own hands" i find it hard to belive this is a legally defined term.

"Forced to go down to intervene? Ridiculous! They were not forced, they chose to go down there. And if you lot cannot get the attention of your politicians, you aren't very effective. Or possibly out of touch with the rest of the Australian population." how many laws have you personally had changed yourself??

ATTENTION PLEASE!No more comments will be approved until tomorrow morning, California time. They will however exist in limbo awaiting approval till then - so feel free to write something brilliant and biting. As usual, no Cialis or Viagra spam will be approved, nor address and name mentions, but everything else, especially salacious Japanese porno-spam (with clickable links) will be happily welcomed. Thank you, and good night.

I'm a japwe eat what we want to eat. we kill whales to eat. This is jap's tradition.do you know why there are only small number of whales live now ?because you (white people) kill millions of whales for oils in 19century,just like you killed natives in Austraia and america for land.but, we(jap) do not say about what you done and do, because Caucasians love to kill people, we know it. and killing people is your tradion, am i rigth? you, whites , are still killing a lot of people in iraq instead of whales. so, shut a fuck up

It seems to me that every single argument you've made has been slammed into the ground by the blogger. Even when you've gone all repetititve and uncomprehending. It's getting mighty boring, and you should probably just call it a day. You fought the good fight, you didn't know where the cannon fire was coming from, your tank stalled in the mud, you lost. Your rhetorical rifle malfunctioned, you marched with a bad case of tropic foot, and the mosquitoes, lice, and huge rice-paddy leeches just about drained you. You lost. Your bunker got busted, your trench got flooded, and your sergeant got shot in the head. Man, you lost. Just give up.

" Ok. what happens if you were to contact your local government constantly. and yet nothing was done? "

Ok, perhaps they know you're a fucking whiner? Stop bitching about how no one listens to you, it's your own fault. You're whiny complaining little spoiled brat, and even your own politicians think you're a monumental wanker.

Skin, paunch and wash the owl. Cut it into pieces, dredge with flour and fry in butter. Put the pieces of fried owl, an onion stuck with six cloves, a lemon peeled and cut in half, and generous pinches salt, pepper and cayenne into a pot. Cover completely with good brown gravy.Cover the pot well, put it up to the rim into a saucepan of boiling water. Stew until the owl is quite tender - probably about four hours.When nearly done, pour in a generous dash of port wine.

Serve with red currant jelly - NOT that ghastly red muck, what's it called, you know, the frightfull sour crap Americans normally serve with roast turkey. That noxious stuff made from some wild Indian bog berry. Inedible!

"But the consensus of experienced mariners and sea captains who have e-mailed me is that, while it's the responsibility of all vessels at sea to take every precaution to avoid a collision, and so to a certain extent there is blame to be spread around, that smaller, more maneuverable boats like the Gil are generally expected to have more responsibility for avoiding collisions, since they can turn faster.

"Under the long established international rules of maritime navigation, the smaller, more agile vessel is expected to remain clear of and not impede the operations or navigation of the larger, less nimble vessel," is how one former mariner put it.

"The Collision Regulations of the International Maritime Organization, issued in 1972 and still in force, would seem to back up the stance that more of the fault lies with the Gil, since it had spent days deliberately approaching and interfering with the operations of the Maru, by darting across its bow, aiming lasers designed to temporarily blind the Japanese mariners, and seeking to foul its propeller with cables.

"The regulations say that "every vessel [is] directed to keep out of the way of another vessel shall, so far as possible, [and to] take early and substantial action to keep well clear." The regulations also say that a powered ship shall keep out of the way of "a vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver" and of a "vessel engaged in fishing."

There seems to be quite a little bit of that going around lately. For those who might not know exactly what it is, it’s the business of taking the law into one’s own hands, sometimes violently.

We’ve seen it most spectacularly in the Antarctic region of the Pacific Ocean, where a renegade group of conservationists recently had one of their boats sunk in what has become an annual clash between their cause and Japanese whaling ships, who have been granted permits to take 1,200 whales a year in what it describes as a scientific program. The program is legal, allowed by the International Whaling Commission.

The conservationists, known as Sea Shepherd and financed most famously by a recent $5 million grant from former Price is Right host Bob Barker, harasses the whaling ships relentlessly, even to the point where they sabotage the workings of the ships engines and steering.

While we’ve given little thought to the practice of whaling, it is generally outlawed worldwide and we don’t support either side in this matter, we have given thought to this group taking the law into its own hands, seemingly with the blessing of nearly all who have known about their particular encounters. Brazenly, Sea Shepherd even blamed the Japanese for the wreck, even though video shows the conservationists’ ship crossing in front of the much larger Japanese boat.

The Japanese responded.

“The series of sabotage acts by the Sea Shepherd were very dangerous and risked the life and safety of the Japanese crew members. These acts should be strongly condemned,” said Yasuhisa Kawamura, deputy spokesman for Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

We agree. What separates Sea Shepherd from the Somalian pirates is only their cause, not their tactics.

great discussion. as for your definition of piracy- wouldn't it be fair to make a distinction between "non-state actors" motivated by lucre and those motivated by some (misguided, no doubt) ideal? i'm not trying to defend the idiots in the batboat, or the idiots in the whaleboat either. but as a matter of definition, i think your take on piracy is outdated.

are you an idiot? the ady gill was off, the have just waved goodbye to the Bob Barker and they were waiting for more fuel. THE VESSEL WAS NOT IN A "MANUVERABLE" POSITION! however, the shonan maru no. 2 was, and when you watch the footage, you can see that the shonan took a wide turnand headed in the way that the ady was obviously floating cause that was the way the oceans waves were carrying it. you are a dumb prick. go get some actual facts instead of listening to your chinky nip friends.

According to a United States judge, the Sea Shepherd assholes are pirates, period.

Quote:"A court in the US has labelled conservationist group Sea Shepherd "pirates".

Judge Alex Kozinski said the group's "aggressive and high-profile attacks" on Japan's whaling fleet endangered lives, ordering them to stop.

US-based Sea Shepherd has for many years chased the Japanese whalers, attempting to disrupt the annual hunt.

The two sides have frequently clashed at sea, blaming each other for collisions and damage.

Three Sea Shepherd ships have been involved a stand-off and clashes with the whaling fleet in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean for several weeks.

They have been trying to prevent the Japanese ships from refuelling from a tanker ship, the Sun Laurel. Both parties released video footage this week which they said showed the other deliberately ramming their ships.

Continue reading the main story “Start QuoteJapan is an island nation surrounded by the sea, so taking some good protein from the ocean is very important”End Quote Yoshimasa Hayashi

Japanese fisheries minister

Sea Shepherd has also accused the whalers of using water cannon and stun grenades against them, and says Japan has deployed a military icebreaker, the Shirase, to intimidate them - something Japan rejects.

'Embodiment of piracy'

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction last year banning Sea Shepherd from going within 500m of Japan's ships.

Its ruling on Monday clears the way for Japan, which calls the activists terrorists, to launch more extensive legal action against them.

Judge Kozinski overturned an earlier district court ruling which had sided with the activists.

"When you ram ships, hurl glass containers of acid, drag metal-reinforced ropes in the water to damage propellers and rudders, launch smoke bombs and flares with hooks; and point high-powered lasers at other ships, you are, without a doubt, a pirate," he said.

"The activities that Cetacean [the Japanese whalers] alleges Sea Shepherd has engaged in are clear instances of violent acts for private ends, the very embodiment of piracy."

Japan says the Sea Shepherd ships are endangering lives at sea (Image by ICR) He added that the illegality of whaling in Australian waters did not excuse Sea Shepherd's activities.

"It is for Australia, not Sea Shepherd, to police Australia's court orders."

Sea Shepherd argues that the US court has no jurisdiction over foreign-flagged vessels sailing in Australian waters with an international crew.

There has been an international ban on commercial whaling for 25 years, but Japan sends its fleet to the Antarctic in the autumn or winter each year, returning the following spring, with the aim of catching hundreds of whales.

Tokyo says the hunt is part of a scientific research programme and that it is obliged by the whaling treaty to sell meat by-products. But critics say the hunt is commercial whaling in another guise and has no scientific value.

Australia is also taking legal action against Japan over whaling.

But Japan's fisheries minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, has said whaling is part of Japan's culture and that it will never give up hunting the animals.

"Japan is an island nation surrounded by the sea, so taking some good protein from the ocean is very important. For food security I think it's very important," he told AFP.

"So why don't we at least agree to disagree? We have this culture and you don't have that culture... so I just would like to say 'please understand this is our culture'."

This blogger seconds the sentiments of Nippomatic, and adds that it also applies to the idiot Dutch and New Zealand activists, as well as the santimonious twat Yanks involved in piracy in frigid waters. Further, Paul Watson should be arrested as an international terrorist in my opinion, based on his financial and organizational support for the illegal and dangerous acts that he has enabled.

I would also advocate that the Dutch activists are taken to court over this at the Hague.

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About Me

Middle-aged, but younger looking than you. And hardly any arthritis. Really.
Resident of the Bay Area, though formerly of somewhere in the Netherlands - living in Europe with a US passport can be an adventure.
I should also mention that I am not a Red-Sea pedestrian. Make of that what you will.